http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/17/a-childs-cancer-story-inspires-taylor-swift/?smid=fb-share
Thank you, Tara from The New York Times. She did a great job and was so thoughtful, kind, and respectful.
angels, arizona, cancer story, celebrities, Chemotherapy, childhood cancer, Childhood Disease, entertainment, F U Cancer, Family, friendship, Health, honesty, i love you, life, love, maya thompson, Neuroblastoma, New York Times, Ro baby, Rockstar Ronan, Ronan, Taylor Swift, The Ronan Thompson Foundation
9 responses to “Thank you, Tara from The New York Times. She did a great job and was so thoughtful, kind, and respectful.”
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Wonderful Maya! Love you and think of you always! xoxo 🙂
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And Ronan always Ro!! Love love love!
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I’m so happy that your story is continuing to spread. It’s so incredibly heartbreaking yet every day your words of love touch so many lives and raise awareness of this terrible disease. I’m inspired by you and am a better mother every day because of you!
I was reading one of our favorite books to my son (2 1/2) tonight and thought of you as I read the last page: “You are my angel, my darling, my star… and my love will find you wherever you are.” (Wherever You Are by Nancy Tillman)
He hears your words and feels your love everyday! Don’t ever stop spreading the RoLove! -
Absolutely gracefully written. Maya, you and baby Ro have been on my mind these past few weeks thanks to Ms. Swift and all I can say is that I do not understand your pain and I can’t even begin to imagine how you must have felt when Ro passed away but all I can say is that I hope strength and peace fills you little by little. I don’t know how but I wish it so much for you and your family. Keep fighting to keep Ronans beautiful memories alive.
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Maya,
Like so many others I have spent the last week reading the history of your life without Ronan via your blog, listening to the song, “Ronan” and balling my eyes out as I think about my own children and the fragility of life. The Friday that the Stand Up to Cancer show aired happened to also be the weekend that a local Chicago radio station hosts a 36 hour fundraiser for a children’s hospital. I volunteered at the hospital for many, many years before I had kids so it is a cause near and dear to me. Throughout the 36 hours, they play gut wrenching recordings of parents telling stories of how their children died of a variety of horrible things, but cancer (neuroblastoma specifically) come up more often than anything else. And now that I have 3 healthy kids, I find the cause even more compelling. So after the radiothon ended on that Saturday evening, I rewatched the Taylor Swift performance and was so touched by Ronan’s beautiful, piercing blue eyes. And my 3 kids who all love Taylor’s music asked me to keep playing the song. So I downloaded it on iTunes (thanks Taylor!) and let them listen to it while I cried and cried upstairs away from their sight thinking about your dead little boy. The words were so touching but even more so for moms like me who can relate to so many of your memories of Ronan. I can’t tell you the number of times I hear the patter of bare feet down the hallway. I have been tripping on race cars on my kitchen floor since my oldest son was one year old. I clean up about 25 plastic dinosaurs about 4 times each week. We have dance parties almost every night before bed and my oldest son wakes me up so many mornings by climbing on me in my bed. The Monday after my weekend of tears, I dropped my five year old son off to school and held his hand and remembered that moment because I was lucky enough to feel his alive, warm hand in mine, and I felt so sad that you could not.
So, I continued reading your posts when I could sneak in a free moment and read the history of how you got here and when I read about Ronan on the Ronan Thompson Foundation website, I saw that Ronan was born just one day after our 1st born, Ethan, on the same year and I cried even more. And my husband kept asking my why I was crying so much. And I blamed it on hormones and stress and being crazy, but then I told him I was actually crying about Ronan and all of the children who have to die (because of cancer or anything else) and because it isn’t fair. And I was crying for all the parents out there who have lost a child and will lose a child and because we have 3 kids (ages 5, 4 and almost 3) who are healthy and happy. And I was crying because I was wondering why we were so lucky when families like yours weren’t. And I was crying because I thought any family could be like yours because cancer can strike any child at any time like your beautiful baby Ronan.
Children who lose their parents are called orphans, spouses who lose their loved ones are called widows/widowers, but there isn’t a name or a word for parents who lose their child. Because it is not natural or right and probably because no word can do that loss any justice.
My son, Ethan, and I listened to “Ronan” in the car this morning. He actually asked me to play it for him. As it ended we pulled into school and he asked me if the mommy in the song was able to get another baby since Ronan died. I told him she could never get another Ronan because he was irreplaceable. He said he was sad for you and wished Ronan was still alive. I told him about the work you are doing now for Ronan and promised to send a check to the Ronan Thompson Foundation so no more kids have to die. He was happy about this (he was also happy that you will have a new baby soon-this seemed to comfort him). So that check will be coming in the mail soon.
So this is my ranbling way of saying that I am rooting for you Maya. I am rooting for Ronans’s foundation and all of the kids who will benefit from the work you are doing. I am rooting for all of the kids who are battling cancer right now at this moment that they might be fortunate enough to survive. I am rooting for your living boys and your soon to be new baby. I am rooting for your loving (and handsome!) husband and you that you may find glimpses of solace and peace in your life. I am rooting for your cause. I am rooting for all kids out there to be healthy, safe and happy. Because Ronan touched so many in life and continues to through his foundation, your blog and your work. Because Ronan’s spirit is so strong that some stranger in Chicago has read about him, cried for him, can’t stop thinking about him and humming the song about him with his namesake, and vows to at a minimum to never take life for granted and cherish her children and make sure to remember this cause and support it however possible and tell others about it so they do the same. Thanks Maya. Thanks for reminding me about what is important in life. Thanks for sharing Ronan and all of his beauty with the world. Thanks for standing up and fighting. I pray Ronan is wild and free. I hope and pray that he is safe. -
What a touching article. I am half way through your blog and I have to say I just love you and your family already. We lived in Phoenix during this time and I wish so badly that I would have known that this was all happening, I would have brought you coconut water and loves from a family that cares deeply.
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That was beautifully written. As always love to your entire family.
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Beautiful!!! So glad the word is out!!! SERIOUS CHANGES ARE IN THE MAKING!! <3<3<3
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Dear Maya,
I have been following your blog since the very beginning. Your eloquent description of the pain and horror of losing a child is so painful to read but I know it is even more painful to live .I am so happy you are making the world aware of childhood cancer and it’s lack of funding as you know Ronan would want you to do. if there was anyway I could bring him back to you I would, but I can’t. I know you know this baby can never replace Ronan and the hurt of losing him will never go away, I also know you will love this new baby with all of your heart. Differently than you loved Ronan and differently than you love the twins.
I wish you well and think of yo often.
Margo
ROCKSTAR RONAN 
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